Wendesday Night Youth Group: March 4

I'm telling people get my not using that. Do you want me to stop using that word?

I do have gray in my beard. Hey, guess how old I am today?

I'm 39. This is my last year in my 30s and then I'm going to be 40. And that's and that's when I've decided I'm going to have my first midlife crisis. So, Yeah, midlife crisis. So hate, we're going to say I'm feeling energetic. Let me tell you a little secret. Tonight's Bible study that we're going to have tonight. I actually picked this passage purposefully for my birthday to preach cuz I really want to preach it because in the book of Acts there's a lot of cool things on a crazy things, but this particular passage is one of the most complicated and scary passages. I think because they let me tell you why I let me lay the groundwork. Okay. You guys

You'll find out a minute. Alright, so just remember what the whole book starts with. It starts with this, Jesus telling his disciples, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. See Jesus starts the book of Acts finishing up the ministry that we read about in The Book of Luke. But he starts the book of Acts with the purpose of building the church, building the church. Because what happened? Let me ask this. What happens when someone is witness to. And they hear about Jesus, and they respond in Repentance and Faith. What happened to that person?

They get to saved, they get forgiven. What did you say over here? The helpful to go to church? Actually, Julie, I have something interesting. They get saved. They get forgiven that, it's not that they go to church, they become the church. Yep. So here's here's what that word means. Church means in the Greek. It means gathered people. That's that's literally what I mean. So when you say I'm going to church you saying, I'm going to a gather people. That's really what you're saying. So just so, you know, things like virtual church is not real. Sorry. Oh no. Live stream. Don't tell your dad.

Virtual church is impossible unless unless let's say you got three or four people in there and it's not like your family but you're all gathered in the name of Jesus. Okay. Then that maybe is a church but why is it that the church? Why is it? You're not a church if it's just you by yourself watching a sermon. Vintage pattern, right. So notice. Like Jesus is saying, power is going to come on you. I want you to fulfill this Mission and so last week we were talking about how Peter and all the, you know, Peter and John they wouldn't preach. And then the Jewish leaders were like to do it, bro. And they were like, you're not God and they were like, Still stopped and they said, no, and then everybody prayed and then there was an earthquake and then we're picking up here. And so here's here's, I'm going to try to summarize it. I'm not going to read it cuz I want to summarize. I want to tell the story, so here's what happens. It says that after this event after this big scary event where they were hurt and then they still prayed. It says that every single person in the church was in unity, Unity They were in unity and then it says, they were unified or in unity. Meaning, in Oneness about taking care of each other, they were selling their things and it says, there wasn't a needy person among them. Right. So, you know, when everybody comes here some of you have different backgrounds, right? Some of you have come from more resources, like money, food, some of you don't have very much it was the same back. Then you had people that were really really poor and then you have people that had lots of things and so what the gospel didn't these people is like they're like I'm selling all these things and I'm going to give to the my brothers and sisters in Jesus because we're family now. So that's what happens. Okay and then it says there is this dude named Joseph and I miss Joseph No. But here's the thing, Joseph means are at lake. Joseph had another name. They called him Barnabas. Barnabas Barnabas, which means, son of encouragement. He's like an encouraging dude aren't Joseph isn't encouraging dude. We we need to like tell him we miss him, tell your brother, I miss So Barnabas Barnabas is so moved by the Holy Spirit and he's unified with everybody else in the church community and he and he sells, he's got this lot less likely and he was probably wealthy. He had this land, he sells it and he takes all the money. Like I say, all All the money he took, he takes all the money that he made from selling it and he lays it at the apostles feet, the apostles being like Peter, John James, Andrew, all those dudes? The ones that were supposed to be leaders, leading the charge of witnessing the to what Jesus has done. They laid at our feet expecting that the apostles are going to distribute it and they did, they did, that was awesome. So but then wild all that's happening while the churches in unity and they're all taking care of each other and they're and they're all, they're making sure nobody's poor. There's this couple that's introduced. Their names are ananias and Sapphira. Okay, ananias and Sapphira in the, in the Bible says that the text says that they, they were in unity them together. They were there something on my face in my hair. It says, they, they conspired. That's what it means, but conspiracy means you're conspiring. You're like, planning something together with multiple people. Like, they, it was them too. They were together in unity. To actually sell something. And then only take half of it or some of it to the apostles. And then tell everybody that they brought everything. So here's here's what they were doing. They were trying to get, they were trying to use The church and used the gospel and use. Like, what other people were doing, as a way to get ahead and become popular, okay? Like they wanted people to be like, oh my gosh, did you hear what other stuff and they gave it to the puzzle just like Barnabas. Hey, you know they're probably just they should be leaders like more of us but because Barnabas ends up becoming a big leader in the church and he ends up going and being planting other churches. So this could have been in and I since a fire if they had really done the right thing but they didn't because they were using God. They were using God to get ahead and so what happened like all right. People still do this all the time. We'll talk a little bit more about in a minute but what happens after this is when they bring those bring that or when ananias comes first, he lays it down at the apostles feet. The holy spirit is speaking to Peter and reveals to him. Hey this isn't right, something's wrong. And so, Peter is like a n and I are as like why are you lying? Like you think you're lying to a man? Cuz that's probably what happened? They probably thought I was just a man. This isn't like the prop. It indicates that the Holy Spirit wasn't working in their life. They were still in the flash so they can bill really believe it and they're like, dude and I are in a nice. Like, you're not, you're not trying to lie to, dude, you're trying to lie to God. You're lying to the Holy Spirit. Does anybody know what happens next?

Ananias falls down dead. You like Pastor Caleb. You wanted to preach on this. like,

So he falls, he falls down dead. And then these these young guys come in and they take him out and then Sapphira comes in the fire with the fire going to do you know if I find it interesting boys might they might run amok be bad get their moms. Tell him to be quiet. They might be bad boys. But girls usually behave right girls. Right now, they're known for that.

But here's your what is Safari going to do? She goes in there and she comes before the apostles, not knowing her husband died. And Peter looks at her. He said he's the fire. Will you tell me did you sell this for such? And such as price? Like, I'm sure it was very cordial is probably more like Conversational, I don't think he would like to do this. But what is happening is she goes? Yeah we did. And then she says and then Peter says, hey, why did you why did you and your husband? Conspire like do this together to lie to God. Why did you do this? Why? And then the next thing, you know what happens? Black. She falls down dead two and then the same the same guys, come in, they take away, they bury her, she's buried with her husband, and then it says, the text says that great fear, meaning, like, reverence for God, great fear fell upon the whole church.

And then the word continued. And then it says, later, in the next two verses that the apostles kept preaching and then the word begin to begin to spread. And then people were multitude were added to the church. Okay, that's the story. So, I want to like, all right. Is that raise your hand if you think that's like scary? Like that scary, bro. He's scary. I don't think is that scary? I mean, but they're guys gals. There are there are things in the Bible that are so uncomfortable. Like, I'm supposed to be up here. Telling you, God is loving, right? I'm supposed to tell you, you can be forgiven of your sins, right? You can go to heaven, right? I'm supposed to be up here telling you this, but I would be lying if I didn't tell you the whole truth. Because just as there's good news, there's also bad news. And I've not heard any well. I did hear the missionary at this, something happened. Very similar to this.

But I I've never heard something this wild happening. Like it makes me, it makes me really check myself. But here's what I want you to understand. This what? This passage teaches us. Is that God cares for his church? Like God cares about the church and cares about the gospel message in. So I want to show you. I want to, I want to show you just three things, three reasons weekends are three things. We can see how God actually cares for his church in this, and I hope this makes sense. Cuz this is why I chose this passage for my birthday because of this passage as a pastor, as a youth. Pastor gives me hope it reminds me that

I don't care about the church as much as God does. That's a lot. Like, if it were all on me and it were all up to me, I would have no hope but I can actually trust God and I, I learned this in the. So here's the first way, we see how God cares. God cares by providing for his church providing Foresters. Let me show you in the verses. I made these really big. Okay, it says now the erase they say it, say those two, first two words I'm about to say Phone number phone. Number phone number. That's, that's everyone. the phone number of those who believed were of,

One heart and soul, right? Like dude, the gospel comes and people are being saved, the repenting and lives are being transformed and it's happening to everyone in the church who is receiving and believing the gospel his way should, that's what should happen. And it says what to say, no one, no one said that, any of the things that belong to him was his own butt. They had everything in common meaning. Psych. Okay. I got I've got this food. No. You know what? This is your food to Oh, I have, I have an extra phone. My phone is your phone. Like, if you don't have a phone or I have money, you don't have money to eat here. Here's our money is like everything was in common. This is what real Community looks like. And it's it keeps going. It says there was not a needy person among them for as many were owners of land of houses, they sold them and brought the proceeds to what of what was sold in late at the apostles feet and it was distributed to each as any had me. So there's a need they're looking out for that need and providing for that need. And then it says this dude, Joseph called by the apostles Barnabas, he sold that field, he did that thing. He laid his Apostles feet, here's what I want you to understand from here, God provides for his church by putting you in the church.

Does that make sense? God provides for his church, by putting you in the church. I mean, yes, God. I mean, God made man. Arant. Come from heaven in the Old Testament. Does anybody know that story there in the wilderness, man? Oh, oh, oh Magic, Mana. They had Quail to God, can send miraculous things, I mean, Jesus, turn water into wine. We're not doing that in youth group, okay? There are miraculous things but do you know what the most miraculous thing in all the world is? It's that wretched selfish punks like us can love each other. That's a miracle. Cuz if you knew me before, I was in Christ, you would be like, oh my gosh, what word did he just say? What is he doing? What did he do last night? You would have been and I still have struggles with selfishness but you weren't Blown Away by myself.

It's not just providing for each other, like materially. Like you know what material is is like stuff. You can touch and just let money and food. It's, you're not just pray God's provision for someone who might have a material needs. You're also got provision who for someone who might need an encouraging need, what was Barnabas his name? What does it mean?

It's right up there it means, son of encouragement. I love that, that is in here because it shows us that Barnabas wasn't just some dude who gave a plot of land the Holy Spirit and inspired him to provide for the church by encouraging people like dude, if you're having a bad day, I want to hug you. I want to pray over you. I want to in sometimes encouragement is saying like, hey that's bad. You shouldn't do that. Look at Jesus. He's better. There's a God. Gave you the people in this room already? Look around. Look around. Look around. Don't look at me, look around. If you are a Christian, if the holy spirit, is it in you? God has given you people in this room. I know there's some of you don't know, some of you, you might know someone better than someone but you have been put here to love each other. God wants to use you to build each other up or I go like this. Amen. Alright so here's the point. The point is, we are God's provision or provision for each other. We are that which God has provided. He gave us the church. Do you know how wonderful it is to be in a church? You guys have something freaking special here. Summit and Beyond. As some of you have relationships with each other in this room that people don't that come to church almost every Sunday or go to a backwood Baptist Church. They don't actually have you have something very special here. It's not me. Even though it's my birthday.

So God cares by providing First Church. Okay next one God cares by protecting his church. God cares by protecting his church. Alright look, we got this story. A man ananias y, safira sold a piece of property and read that bold. What does it say? With his wife's knowledge, bro, didn't do it alone. There are actually men in marriages that will defraud others and not tell her wise, I have a friend who's in prison, who did that got divorced, because he did that. This stuff is real. But people who profess, Jesus. Do terrible things. With his wife's knowledge, he kept back from self some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and we go like this.

Just a little bit, he only brought a part of it. Alright? And then he laid it at the apostles feet. So here's your way, this is a big deal. I told you this a minute ago, ananias and Sapphira where you unified in line to the church, they were unified and making it seem like they were as generous as Barnabas. They were fakers. And there are so many people who come to church and they faked it so that they can get good better business or so that they can be popular or so that they can use Jesus to get ahead in life. People do that. There are even preachers who do that. Who tell you, if you send me money, I will pray for you and you will be healed and they are liars.

God hates it.

And if this this stuff happens all the time here and you might be like we'll why doesn't God stop at? Well, here's the difference. This is the beginning of what we have now. The very beginning. If you Tuckasegee River. Okay, imagine if you were Two hundred years ago, drinking from the Tuckasegee River, right? Okay, yeah, gross. Okay. Let's and then you wash your clothes in the Tuckasegee River, right? Okay. Is it better? Okay. Your your drinking at the fountain like or drinking from the water, pulling your water here when it be bad. If somebody's bathing up at the very top of the stores where you get your water, It wouldn't. What would it do? You would get what sick? You have the vomits, you have the diarrhea's.

What what do you think Diaries? You'd have that like so if imagine if ananias and Sapphira had gotten away with this? At the very beginning. What would the church have looked like moving forward? now, here's to hear something, you need to be aware of There's always been poison in the well sin is always there later after the apostles died. People started poisoning the well by saying things like hey you can you can pray to Saints poison saying things like Making making taking things Jesus said and doing something with them that he didn't mean. or saying, hey, This person is our main leader. We got to listen to everything. He says, even if it contradicts what Jesus said There's always been Poison the Well, but if it hit the well have been poisoned this early on, it would have been terrible. and God knows that and it says Peter did this Peter said this ananias dies, they come in They take him out Sapphira comes, let me read, this is fascinating. This is okay, after an interview about 3 hours, his wife came in, not knowing what it happened. And Peter said to her already say that, Tell me.

I don't know what she was washing clothes making flatbread. I don't know. Look when Peter says, tell me he is giving her a chance to repent. Peter actually, by saying tell me is showing her the grace of God. He's giving her a chance to own it and to be saved. And I want you to understand this, God, let this is another sign that God loves people. Not just the church. He loves people for Peter to say, hey, tell me. Tell me Safara he could, you just said Safari, you turd burger Any kind of evidence lightning come down from heaven, he could have done that. But he says, tell me. Tell me. That's like one of them kind of somewhat things someone could do when someone's walking in sin and you know it hate. Just tell me just confess. I'll forgive you. I love you. That could have happened for her but it didn't happen. What happened to her. She died. She did. So here's the point, I want to make from this. The point is, we are the biggest threat to the church.

I say this because just before this passage Peter and John are preaching and then they get beaten up and I get told not to preach the gospel. Did God strike those people. Who did he strike down? The people that were in the church, the biggest threat to the church is not out there. The biggest threat to the church is me, and you I pointed at you and said me, it's me and you. We are the biggest threats to the church. We are the biggest threats to the gospel. It doesn't matter what presidents or Kings or popes do. To kill you if you deny Christ cuz it's the blood of the martyrs of the Witness blood of the witnesses, is what they call the seat of the church. The more they oppressed Christians, the more beautiful the gospel looks. But did you know that the when Christians are ugly to each other? That turns people off of Jesus. My friend who made a mess of his life I found out that someone he told somebody was a Christian. I'm a good God-fearing man and the guy got really hurt. Now they got I want to be Christian. But you are the biggest threat to the church. Me, I'm also the biggest threat, it what we do and how we live matters. But here's the great news. God cares by protecting his church. I want to tell you a real story true story before I get to the last point, I have a friend named Ryan. Not like Ryan from the office. If you've seen the office, Ryan randels is Neymar in our Ryan Randall's. I went to Seminary with him in California. He became the past pastor and I know this is being recording. Someone like Google it and find this out. He became the pastor of First Baptist. Sonoma. Everybody heard of Sonoma California? Pretty cool. Small little church is Wine, Country Cinemas, Wine Country you're too young. He became Pastor there he came in after years and years of just unfaithfulness among Church leadership. They lost their love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they cared more about power, they cared more about Human Traditions. Human thing to my friend, Ryan preaching, the gospel Faithfully for about two years. I think there's one Deacon there that is absolutely. Just hate this. Deacon goes on a rampage. Start talking to all these other people in the church and he wants Ryan to get fired. He wants them to vote Ryan out and all Ryan's doing is witnessing to the gospel. He's just talking about Jesus, he's holding biblical standards. What happened is that they this guy called a meeting, a Deacon meeting, which is legal, they can do it, he would try to go through all the legal Norms within a church called all the members. Let's let's all talk and let them vote Ryan out. He wanted to he wanted to talk about it and give his case. So 5 minutes, I'm not even could ever Take 5. 5 minutes before the meeting when Ryan is about to get voted out and then they're all going to hear this guy. The guy is sitting on the banister, you know, some Churches have like a banister here cuz they're choirs might be by there. He's sitting on the banister, the bannister break out of no, where the guy falls off the podium or off the stage, breaks his hip and all the people that came there to support him to vote. Ryan out, rushed into the hospital, the meeting went on cuz they had already had in the in the legally. They had to have the meeting and guess what happened to Ryan? He stayed. He won and guess where those people that people didn't stay at the church, but God loves his church, he protects his church and I don't understand. I have other stories. I have no clue. Ryan, just told me this story like months after it happened. Praising God. So God cares by protect his church. Last thing, God cares by preserving his church, he knows how that was all three. It was 3 piece, 3 piece. Preserving is church. Anybody does anybody know what preserve means?

To keep it to keep it. Make it last longer. What do you think? Huh?

Yes, I love it. So if you ever heard of preservatives or you preserve, your not preserve, his it don't. Some of those are bad for you, by the way. But you know, preserves or what you would do, like Jack jams and jellies, you can and preserve them. You try to keep them to last longer. So that we see how God preserves his church and keeps it for its ability to last longer and keep going. It says that the grit in great fear Came Upon the whole church and upon all who heard these things. So everybody everybody and heard this story about a nice as far as guys, this is Jerusalem, people are talking about it. You were like, dude, did you hear what happened to ananias and Sapphira? They tried lying to Jesus. And then they died. And then there are people like, oh my gosh, what is happening? It was it, it was such an event that it both Drew people in to the church cuz they wanted to know, where is this power from? Who's the god that they're serving. And it also did this get made? The people who are in within it really realize how serious God is. Holy God, is it actually makes the roots go deeper into God? That's what the fear of the Lord. Doesn't a person that makes your roots. Go deeper into the one that you are reviewing or fearing or looking at is being awesome. It makes your roots sink deeper. But look, what else is how it says, it what happens. It says, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the People by the hands of the Apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest are to join the meeting. People weren't going to come and in and challenge the apostles after something like this. It made them you like holy cow. I don't want to mess with those guys. If God is with those guys, I don't want I don't want to be struck down like ananias and Sapphira, so he's preserving the church. So Apostolic are Apostles, can continue teaching the word and then it says the people held them in high esteem in and this is awesome. And this is where we're going to end. After Point, more than ever Believers, were added to the Lord and multitude of both men and women. So what does that mean? What's growing? The church.

In growing so we can last longer. So here's the last point, we are preserved to continue the mission. Like when God doesn't work and protects us preserves us provides for us. All of this stuff is for us to continue witnessing. What Jesus is done. Did you know everybody do this with your hand? E.t. phone home? No, don't say that. Right now, I want you to take your finger and I want you to stick it in your nose. No, I'm kidding. No, take your finger and point it yourself. Say, I am a witness.

All right, take for a moment. Just do you get that? When you say I am a witness, do you realize that you you are the one that God might have put in somebody's life that you sit by at school? Or someone you're on a soccer team with, or someone in your family, did you realize that you might be God? God's answer for them to know him and become a part of the church? Because that's what we see happening here. They keep going with the mission. I think that's pretty cool. Happy birthday, Caleb. That was fun. That was my preaching. That was my, my birthday present to myself. I love this passage. I've seen God do this passage. I've seen God do this, passage in my life and I know God will do this in your life if you really trust him and you really put your I have. Not seen it, but it did happen to me. All right, here's what we're going to pray for you guys. And We have a, what? We have a special treat for everyone. Claire made something. I think she didn't make it. All right. I'm going to pray for you guys. Let's pray, Lord. Thank you for the ways that you are active in your church. Thank you that you're active in these kids. I just pray for your Holy Spirit to fill them and send them out in your power, to do my tier Works than I could ever do. Lord, I'm I'm one person and there are probably like 40 people here and I just pray that you would multiply Caesar the gospel through these kids. Cuz they could do. So like there's so much more like they're going out. I'm just staying here. So Lord, would you just send them out of your power and use what we talked about tonight? Just really impact them in Jesus name. Amen.